Model Water Tower Competition Mission Statement:

“From today’s youth come tomorrow’s leaders 
– let’s lead some to the water profession.”

The Model Water Tower Competition is designed to provide information to youth about water resource engineering, infrastructure, water treatment and water conservation in hopes that some will become future water professionals. The contest is for middle schools, and it allows students to learn about the water profession through a fun-filled, hands-on science project. Each student or team of students (up to 4 per team) constructs a functioning model water tower.

The students learn that a water tower has three main components: an elevated tank, a riser pipe, and a structure to elevate the tank. In addition, students experience what it is like to be an Engineer for a day by solving issues with their towers and trying to come up with the best design based on provided, limited specifications. The towers are tested to make sure they meet the specifications for both materials and dimensions.

Towers are judged based on three criteria: structural efficiency, hydraulic efficiency, and design ingenuity/interview presentation.